Vacuum cleaner



Sept. 19, 1950 Filed Dec. 6, 1945 A.H.BEEDE VACUUM CLEANER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A. H. BEEDE VACUUM CLEANER Sept. 19, 1950 Filed Dec. 6, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Patented Sept. 19, 1950 VACUUM CLEANER Arnold H. Beede, Stamford, Conn., assignor to Electrolux Corporation, Old Greenwich, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Application December 6, 1945, Serial No. 633,233

4 Claims.

This invention relates to vacuum cleaners and is particularly concerned with problems of dirt and dust collection and disposal in connection therewith.

One persistently difiicult problem in the art of vacuum cleaning is that of'dirt disposal. Vacuum cleaners of both the bag-on-handle type and the tank type, as now in'common use, require the removal of the dust collecting bag from the machine and the emptying of the dirt therefrom at periodical intervals. No commercially successful means has yet been devised by which this tedious and unpleasant task may be avoided. In both types of cleaners, the disconnection of the bag from the cleaner and the transportation of the bag to the place of final disposal as well as the emptying operation are not only difficult and tedious but the operator is rendered liable to contamination by the dirt and dust accumulated by the bag during such manipulations.

It is among the prime objects of the present invention to provide novel and improved means for dislodging accumulated dirt and foreign matter from the fabric used for the separation of such dirt and foreign matter from the air stream.

A further object of the invention is to provide mechanical means for agitating a dust separating screen so as to dislodge accumulated dust and foreign matter therefrom.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means operated by the motor-fan-unit of a vacuum cleaner to shake the dust screen thereof in order to dislodge accumulated matter therefrom. v a

A further object of the invention is to provide a power operated vibrator for the dust screen, of the vacuum cleaner in combination with means for diverting the fiow of air through the screen during agitation so as to enhance the action of the agitation in dislodging foreign matter.

Numerous other features and objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following specification when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of one embodiment of the present inventive concept;

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of that form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 1, taken on the line 22 of that figure.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal longitudinal section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section-taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1, and r Fig. 5 is a detailed section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2. I y e The present embodiment of the invention is shown as applied to tank type vacuum cleaners which are characterized by the provision of a suitable housing within which is mounted a motor-fan assembly in combination with a fabric dust screening member. The structural embodiment of the present inventive concept is shown as provided with means by which suction may be diverted from flow through the screen and simultaneously therewith the screen may be agitated by the motor to dislodge clinging dirt thereof.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings the herein disclosed embodiment of the invention comprises a casing I0 which is generally rectangular in configuration. In the casing it, there is disposeda motor-fan unit I I, the circuit to which may be suitably controlled by a switch actuator [2, current being supplied thereto from a conductor I 3 which is mounted upon a cord reel l4 disposed within a compartment [5 located beneath the motor. Suitable means preferably of a resilient nature are provided to normally wind the conductor upon the reel so as to eliminate the necessity of manually winding or otherwise disposing of the conductor externally of the machine when the device is not in operation. The motor-fan unit is preferably resiliently mounted within the casing Hi by means of a supporting gasket l6 and is provided with a forwardly extending casting H which is centrally apertured to admit air therethrough and to the unit. An air filter I8 is provided to filter from the air before discharging any fine dust particles which may have penetrated the interstices of the primary filter screen. Air which is so drawn through the unit is discharged to the atmosphere through a suitable exhaust opening l9 centrally located in the rear end of the casingabove the cord reel compartment.

A motor shaft 20 extends forwardly from the motor and through the filter l8 and is provided within a portion of the casting IT with a worm gear 2| keyed thereto which drivingly engages a worm wheel 22 which drives the driven element of a clutch mechanism 23. When engaged the clutch drives a gear 24 which by an intermediate pinion 25 rotates a gear 26 which is keyed upon a shaft 21, which shaft also carries an eccentric 28 and a counter-balance weight 29. Eccentric 28 is mounted within a ring 30 whereby rotation of the eccentric will impart oscillatory vibration to the dust collecting screen hereinafter described. The clutch 23 is adapted to be engaged so as to impart rotation from the shaft 20 to the gear by the application of foot pressure to a pression 34 bears against the upper end of clutch pin 39 which is normally urged upwardly against the depression 34 by the spring '40 and which engages the gear 24 for rotation therewith by a transverse pin 4|. The clutch pin 39 also carries a driven clutch hub 42 which has a driven clutch projection 43 which when depressed engages a driving clutch pin 44 mountedin a driven clutch hub 45 which in turn is mounted .to seal the same.

nipulation of the handle arm to swing the arms 64 and 65 outwardly to release the clamping members i0 and permitting removal of the receptacle. The arms 65 are further provided with a projection 14 which acts as a limit to the pivotal movement of the arms 64 and 65.

Within the opposite or forward end of the chamber 52 is mounted a combined inlet conduit and ram, a perpendicular end wall of which constitutes the ram surface, packing material 16 being provided on the sides and bottoms thereof Forwardly of the wall 15 the member is provided with a downwardly inclined and forwardly extending air conduit ll which enupon and rotates with a shaft 46 carried'by'the worm wheel 22.

From this construction it will be seen that upon depression of the vibrator treadle 31, the vent doors 38 will be open to permit air to pass directly to the motor from the atmosphere thus cutting off suction through the screen and at the same time the driving clutch member 42 will be depressed and be engaged with the driven clutch member 45 to cause rotation to the shaft 2'! and its eccentric 28, which rotation will impart the desired vibration to the dust screen.

The screen preferably used in the present construction is of the reentrant type comprising a pair of substantially concentric frustoconical sec-' tions, the outer and larger section 56 having its open end secured as by a band 5i to an air inlet ring 52. The upper or smaller end of the section 56 is secured by band 5IA to member 3i? from which the smaller or inner section 53 extends downwardly to be secured to a closed terminal plate 54 in which the shaft 21 has a bearing'as at 55, tension applied to the screen during its application being such as to retain the member 54 against the shaft 21. By this construction it will be seen that when the shaft 21 imparts bodily rotary movement to the member 33, such movement will cause a vigorous vibration to both sec tions of the screen and since such vibration is imparted only when the treadle 3| is depressed and thus only when the doors 38 are open, ac cumulated and clinging dust will be shaken from the screen. It is important to note that the doors are open during the shaking operation since otherwise air would be continuously drawn through the screen during its vibration and it has been found that in such an event the vibration will not be effective in loosening adhering dirt.

Beneath the inlet ring 52there is provided a dust receivin chamber (ill, the rear end of which under the cord reel 14 is open as indicated at 6! and removably receives thereover a removable dust receptacle 62, the open mouth of which is normally sealed against a gasket 63 when the receptacle is in position. The receptacle is retained in such position and sealed against the gasket 63 by a latching mechanism including pairs of parallel bars 64 and 55. The bars 64 are pivoted as at 63 in the brackets 61 secured to the rear wall of the machine and the arms 65 are similarly pivoted as at 68. The arms 65 carry with them companion arms 69 to which are applied clamping rollers i. The arms 64 and 65 are joined at their free ends by a handle arm H which extends beyond the arms to providean actuating handle 12 which in cooperation with the recesses E3 in the receptacle fiz perm-its 'macircles a fixed air inlet at 18 which communicates with a suction hose receiving fixture 19. Packing is provided between the member H and 18 to prevent air leakage therebetween and top packin element 8| is provided to seal the inner end of the conduit ll by engagement with the top wall 32 of this unit.

In the normal operation of the cleaner it will be seen that with the motor operating and a, suction hose and cleaner nozzle applied to the fixture l9, air will be drawn in through the tube 18 and conduit 11 and will thus be drawn through the screen sections 50 and 53 and exhausted through the motor and exhaust outlet l9. Heavy dirt particles entrapped by the inflow of air will be pre: vented fro-m passing through the screen and will drop downwardly in front of the ram surface I5 into the chamber 60. some lighter particlescf dust and dirt may cling to the screen until such time as the screen is vibrated and the air suction bypassed to the motor through the doors 38, at which time such particles will also drop into the compartment 60 in front of the ram. It will be noted that the air which is admitted through conduit 11 is directed upwardly and away from compartment 68 and thus there is a minimum of agitation of such foreign matter which has fallen thereinto from the screen.

For actuating the ram, the upper portion of the front of the casing is formed to provide a pair of parallel walls between which extends a ram actuating shaft 86 to which is attached a foot pedal 81, the pedal being normally retained in raised position and the shaft urged in clockwise direction by a coil spring 88which engages a hook 89 depending from the lower side of the pedal 81. Within the side members 85 and attached to the ends of the shaft 86 which extend therein is a pair of ram actuating cranks 90, each of which are connected by links 9| to the side wall of the ram and inlet unit as indicated at 92. From this construction it will be seen that in normal operation the parts are shown in Fig. 2 with the foot pedal raised and the ram in its most forward position. When it is desired to discharge the accumulated dirt the treadle 3| is first actuated whereby I accumulated dust is shaken from the screen and disposed in the chamber 60 together with such heavy particles which have already dropped into it by gravity. After the desired shaking, the motor I l is preferably deenergized by manipulation of the switch l2 and thereafter the operators foot is applied to the treadle 81 whereby through the cranks -90 and links 9| the ram is moved longitudinally through the chamber 60 forcing the accumulated dirt out the open end 6! and into the receptacle 62 where it is compressed. Pressuremay then be relieved from the treadle 81 and the handle 12 manipulated to release the container 62 which may then be removed, emptied and subsequently reapplied when the cleaner is again to be used.

From a consideration of the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention provides a novel and improved cleaner having a motor driven screen vibrator for shaking the dust from the screen into the dust compartment, from Where it may be displaced into a removable dirt receptacle, it being understood that the compartment may be cleared many times and the screen vibrated many times before it is necessary to remove the receptacle in which the dirt may be compressed by the repeated operations of the ram.

It will be understood, of course, that the invention is not limited to the various structural features here shown by way of illustration and that numerous changes and modifications thereof may be resorted to without departure from the spirit or scope of the invention as outlined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a vacuum cleaner, a casing formed with an inlet opening and an exhaust opening, a dust separating member in said casing disposed in the path of flow between said inlet and said outlet, an electric motor, a fan driven by said motor for producing flow of air through said casing, agitating means associated with said member, clutch mechanism for selectively connecting said agitating means to said motor, control means movable to engage said clutch, valve means in said casing operable for diminishing flow of air through said member, and means actuated by said control means for operating said valve to diminish flow through said member when said clutch is engaged.

2. In a vacuum cleaner, a casing formed with an inlet opening and an exhaust opening, a dust separating member in said casing disposed in the path of flow between said inlet and said outlet, an electric motor, a fan driven by said motor for producing flow of air through said casing, agitating means associated with said member, normally disengaged clutch mechanism for selectively connecting said agitating means to said motor, spring biased control means manually movable to engage said clutch, valve means in said casing operable for diminishing flow of air through said member, and means actuated by said control means for operating said valve to diminish flow through said member when said clutch is engaged and for restoring normal flow through said member when said clutch is disengaged.

3. In a vacuum cleaner, a casing formed with an inlet opening and an exhaust opening, a dust separating member in. said casing disposed in the path of flow between said inlet and said outlet, an electric motor, a ian driven by said motor and disposed in said casing between said member and said outlet, agitating means associated with said member, clutch mechanism for selectively conmeeting said agitating means with said motor, control means movable to engage said clutch, said casing being provided with an auxiliary inlet opening between said member and said fan, valve means for controlling flow through said auxiliary opening, and means actuated by said control means for opening said valve means to diminish flow through said member when said clutch is engaged.

l. In a vacuum cleaner, a casing formed with 1 an inlet opening and an exhaust opening, a dust separating member in said casing disposed in the path of flow between said inlet and said outlet, an electric motor, a fan driven by said motor and disposed in said casing between said member and said outlet, agitating means associated with said member, normally disengaged clutch mechanism for selectively connecting said agitating means with said motor, control means manually movable to engage said clutch, said casing being provided with an auxiliary inlet opening between said member and said fan, a valve for controlling flow through said auxiliary opening, means connect- I ing said valve with said control means for opening said valve to diminish flow through said member when said control means is moved to engage said clutch, and spring means for biasing said control means towards clutch disengaging position and for closing said valve.

ARNOLD H. BEEDE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,316,924 Ross Sept. 23, 1919 1,341,129 Hopkins May 25, 1920 1,621,824 Boesger Mar. 22, 1927 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 621,415 Germany Nov. 6, 1935 698,817 Germany Nov. 18, 1940 

